Around 40,000 households will be taking part in energy saving trials in a bid to cut household bills and help in the fight against climate change, according to Business and Enterprise secretary John Hutton. And Housing Association Accord is giving away energy saving lightbulbs in an attempt to encourage tenants to go green. The energy saving trials will see around 15,000 households receiving state of the art smart meters and 8,000 more receiving clip on real time display units for their existing meters. The other households in the trial will be testing new ways of receiving information to help them cut their energy use. Clip on real time display units can tell people how much energy they are using, and how much it is costing when individual appliances are turned on. Smart meters allow energy suppliers to communicate directly with their customers, removing the need for meter-readings and ensuring entirely accurate bills with no estimates. Smart meters tell people about their energy use either through linked display units or in other ways, such as through the internet or the television. John Hutton said: “Changing consumer habits is vital if we are to cut our energy use and reduce the impact of climate change. Smart meters provide the cutting edge technology to enable this to happen. The results of the trials will provide invaluable evidence to support the future rollout of displays and smart meters; helping to cut consumer bills and cut our carbon emissions.” Meanwhile Accord Housing Association will be giving two free energy-saving bulbs to every tenant in Walsall, Sandwell, Birmingham, Dudley and other parts of the Midlands as part of its campaign to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide it produces each year. Accord is one of the first housing associations in the country to measure its annual carbon footprint and have a target for reducing it. The bulbs will be distributed to around 7,000 residents in the coming months and are expected to cut annual electricity bills by around £20. Accord has also become one of the few housing associations to take part in a national pilot scheme to complete Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) on its properties. EPCs assess how energy efficient homes are and show where improvements could be made. The Housing Corporation has launched the £2m pilot project with the aim of completing 71,000 EPCs, which will become compulsory for social housing in October 2008.

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